Description
Summary: The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AA C&U) is one of the leading national associations concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises nearly 1,400 member institutions, including accredited public and private colleges; community colleges; and research and comprehensive universities. Currently, AAC&U, is led by Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, who is well known to the Luce Foundation in part through her previous service as president of Mount Holyoke College, a Clare Boothe Luce Program Designated Institution.
Since its founding in 1989, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) has been one of the leading advocates in the nation for transforming undergraduate STEM teaching and learning. It has, to date, empowered an extensive network of over 7,000 STEM faculty and administrators committed to the principles, practices, and partnerships that advance cutting-edge, integrative STEM higher education for all students. To that end, all PKAL undertakings are uniquely designed to foster quality, diversity, and social responsibility. In 2010, PKAL was incorporated into AAC&U. As a result of this unique arrangement, AAC&U is now ideally poised: 1) to empower STEM faculty to produce more competitively trained and liberally educated STEM graduates, 2) to develop STEM faculty to lead the broadening participation of faculty and students from groups historically marginalized in STEM, and, 3) to utilize the convening power of both AAC&U and PKAL strategically to establish and sustain multidisciplinary communities of practice focused on reforming STEM higher education.
Mentoring has emerged as a key factor in STEM persistence among diverse groups, including among women. The current PKAL STEM Leadership Institute provides participants – all of whom serve in a variety of mentorship roles – at their home institutions – with one-on-one mentoring by senior higher education leaders. However, few opportunities are afforded for participants to actually study and gain full mastery of evidence-based STEM mentoring theories and practices. With Foundation support, AAC&U proposes to implement and permanently embed an evidence-based mentor training program within its PKAL Institute structure and its STEM Central online platform. STEM Central is one of the nation’s premier digital habitats for disseminating information, supporting ideas, and sharing resources related to STEM higher education reform.
Luce Foundation funds would support curriculum design, facilitators, and materials; PKAL Institute support and travel for 20 participants/year; computer services associated with the online component; and modest personnel costs. AAC&U would provide significant in-kind personnel support to ensure successful program development, implementation, and sustainability.
Recommendation: That the Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation approve a two-year grant of $200,000 to the Association of American Colleges and Universities for the project, Academic STEM Mentoring Training Program.
